Ratl connection for electric railways



.2 Shets-Shen 1.v M. J, WIGHTMAN. RAIL CONNECTION EGB, ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.-

"No Model.)

No. 460,615. Patented O ot. v6, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-Sheen C M. J. WGHTMAN.

RAIL CONNECTION FCR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.V

Patented 0613.6, 1891.

AT T E ST: N INVENTUH?" IeJZe/JWLI'yhna/e, I

" I I -yym UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAM. CONNECTION FOR ELCTRIC RAILWAYS..

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Lettori Patentllo. 480,615, dated ctobex' 6, 1891.

Application led Hay 16, 1891. Serial No. 392,825. -Glo model.) l

are used asrthe return-circuit for the electric energy takemot from a 'separate leading or.

supply conductor for operating,r the railwaymotor. Such separate leading or supply conductor is usually supported over the car and is known as atrolley'wre," but might be any conductor running along the line of trackas, for instance a conduit-conductor.-

My invention is applicable to any system in which a rnil-return is used after the manner ordinarily employed in connection with a trolley-wirc; and the object of the invention is priinarilyto` improve the lin of suclirailreturn circuit and to provide for the ready location of faults" The systems h llierto employed have been oliieily deficientnecause of their chri: life or` early deterioration, the result being serious drop of voltage at points distant from the supply-station. In the rail-return circuit as rst employed reliance was placed wholly upon the rails themselves for conducting the electricity back to the supply-station, ahd provision was made for connecting the rail ends by means of a rily consisting of a stiff copper or iron wire, which was riveted or secured to t-,he adjacent ends of the rail. In this system the breaking of one joint would increase greatly the total rail resistance, and it therefore became necessary to yuse a so-callcd supplemental wire running parallel to'thc rails and between 'or just outside one of tlxeinand to connect the railbonds which electrically joined the ends of adjacent rails to the supplemental wire or `return by moans of short connections.

Whether used alone orin connecti0n with the supplemental return-wire, the rail-return .circuit thus .employed has proved to be serviceable 'for n period of only a year` or so, the brcnlrs at the rail-joint after that time increasing very rapidly, the result being a good conductor, ordina-V gradnal deterioration of the entire system.

In the previous construction of the-systems.

it would be impossible to remove thefanlt or improve the system without exposing*I the en tirel rail-section, which, in a paved roadway,

would he very expensive.

The principal advantage of the system which constitutes the present invention lies in the fact that it is single break in the rail-return circuit or fault of-any nature as soon as the same occurs and the entire system can be maintained in perfect repairs.

The invention consists, essentially, in dividing the rail-return into 'sections of from one io live hundred feet'eacli, more. or less,

as may be found convenient, and connecting such sections through switches of, any sort,' which will form the whole into the ordinaryrail-retnrn circuit, but which are adapted to` beiturned at will to break connection from one section to the other for thepurpose of locating the fault in the sectionwhere such fault is expected to exist. v

My invention consists, further, in a novel construction of a flexible-wire bond or connection between the ends of adjacent rails, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

I have shown myinvention asapplied both to a system in which thelsupplemental wire return is employed and to asystem in which dependence is placed-wholly-upon the rails themselves as the return-circuit.l When the invention is applied t'o a system having'a supplemental return wire, the connection therewith is made not at each bond between two rails, but at the ends of the sections through a switch, which may be turned to break the connection at pleasure. The same switch cr a. separate switch may be tlepended upon for disconnecting at' will the rails of two adjacent sections.

It will of course be understood that the sections are reasonably .well insulated from one anotherby means of insulating-chairs, as woll understood in the art,

In thelaccompnnying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the application of my invention to a railway wherein asupplemental return-wire is used in connection with the rail-return circuit. Fig. 2 is a diagram illuspossible to lopate nny- .trating a modixlcation in the manner of carrymgout-my invention. Fig. 3 is a diagram' illustrating'the application of the invention to a system wherein dependence is placed upon the rails entirely for formingr the return connection. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the adgacent ends of two rails connected by the improved rail-bond. Fig. 5l isa perspec A B C D, insulated from one another at the points n.

C is the supplemental returu-wire con neeted to to the opposite pole of the generatorfrom that which connects tc E. Y

The trolley by which the electric energy is drawn of! from the wire E is indicated at T, while F F indicate the wheels of anyrailway car or vehicle which runs upon the rails fr. The current flous in the Usual way from the trolley T through the devices on the car or vehicle, thence throu h the wheels and to the rails ot' the track. y e rails are a rail-re turn circuit for theeectricity, and the several sections described areupp'osed to be normally connected with one another through suitable switch devices that "may be turned to 'break the connection from one section to the other. Switch dvices are'also employed for breaking the connection between the rails and the supplemental return-wire .It is convenient to employ the same switch, devices or hl ih purposes. In the present case, as will be een, the ends of adjacent sections of rail-return are connected to the -.c"ontactpoints 1 2 3 4- of an electric switch device, which. may be conveniently made with a singie rotating member il, consisting of a plate having fo'ur arms, as shown, adapted to rest upon the\contacts 1 2 3 4, as shown, and it self electrically connected with the supplemental returnfwire in any suitable manner.

Ordinarily the switches would stand inthe position indicated at the' right of the ligure, thus forming connection between the adja. cent ends of the several sections, and likewise making connection between each section at its end and the supplemental return-wire.

'The operation of the system illustrated in Fig. 1 is as follows: If it. bp noticed that the voltage diminishes on any particular section more than upon others,fthis points tothe fact that` some one of vthe rail-bonds in that section has broken or has become defective as aconineciitljhnd i n ordertolocateexactlythebreak the switcher 'cocer the-inthernd'ofsadsect-on willbc turned to break the connection of such section with an adjacent section. Let it be su pposed that' the break of a rail-bond switches connecting said. sectionwith B or D would be turned-as, for instance, that connecting it with ll-into the position indicated and-an ammeter I placed iu the connection between that e'nd of the sectionswhich is ing devices. the point a, then the carin passing along the track in the direction indicated by the inclination of its trolley would as soon as it passed the break a cause a current to flow through the ammeter or other` suitable indicatori, thus indicating the point at which the break is located. If the car were moving in the cther'direction and approaching thebreak from the end of *the section C at which the switch has beentu'rned and the aiumeter or through such ammeter: or indicator from the car until the break is reachcdbuton passing If the switch at the opposite end of the sec tion were also opened, so as to disconnect the opposite rail likewise from the supplemental return-wire, then the passage olf the carover the break would cause a sudden Hash or arc to appear at such defectivepoint, and in this atl wouldbe unnecessary. Inv such case, however, a substitute connection forthat formed by the ammcter would have to be employed.

Fig. illustrates s modiiication of my-invention in which the switchis provided with four independent switch'arms c d e f,' corres spending to the arms of the single switch- :plate H.

means for locating the'break by the arc o r bon'd and makes it unnecessary to use' an ammetei` or indicator or any substitute device. section B, for instance, the switches at oppo- `wou1d be in the position' indicated at the right of the ligure, would be turned to the position both ends,'dsconnecting `the opposite side at one end and leaving itin connection Y"supplemental return at the other. 1f the row, then it is obvious that circuit would maintained through the saine v so long as it break in the said section on the side thereof which remains connectcdto thesupplemental for. instance, at the point m-thcn the location of such break would be shown by the appearance of a finish or' 'nu-GA Should. the car pass entirely over the section without any such indication appearing, then the switches would be turned so as to place the opposite side of said section in the same relation to the break current willfsuddenly fall Yor stop.

flash formed when the car passes the'defective'.

shown, thus disconnecting the sec. tion at one side from adjacent sections at wihthe' remained on said section B, if there were no .is suspected in the section C, then one o f the thereby disconnected from Band the supplemental return-wire C by any properconnect-v If the break be, fornstance, at

indicator in circuit, then current would llowv f instance the useof any ammetcr or indicato! los This modification furnishes a ready In order to test or locate the break on site ends of.said sections, which normally car pass in the direction indicated by the arreturn-wire; but o npassing any break-as e the system and to disconnect entirely the first. side. The same test would then be applied to the second side of the section. In the same manner the switches might be turned to disconnect one side of the track of any section entirely and to place the other side in connection with the supplemental wire at one end only, its opposite end being disconnected from the adjacent section of rail-reiturn, and therefore ont of connection with the generator. A

Fig. 3 illustrates the application of my invention to a system wherein no supplemental return-circuit is employed. illustrated in Fig. 3 is only applicable to short lines and can only be used for-testing purposes when there areno cars distentfrom the power-supply beyond thepointwherefthe break exists. Each switch device connecting one section with an adjacent section might be constructed, as shown at the right of the figure, with independent arms c e, crit might consist of a singleswitch-plate li'isnoh as indicated at the left of the dg-use, similar to that illustrated in Fig. l, and adapted when standingin the position shdwn in the full lines to connect the points l 2, ns well as the points 3 4. To locate efault in section B, the switches could be turned into the position indicated, leaving,T the side of said section to be iirst tested in connection withvthe generator at its end nearest the generator, but disconnecting its opposite end from the adjacent section and the rest. of the rail-return. 'llhe opposite side .of said section B would be disconnected from that the car on passing on section B wonldreceive current only through the side to 'be tested. It is obviousthatii the car were moving in the direction of the arrow then on passing the defective point m the strong' are or flash would appear, and after passing said break the car' would receive no current. It the cer could be propelled over-the whole then it would be obviously clear that the defect, 'if any, existed on the other side, and to locate the defect the latter side would be connected to the section C and theV opposite side rst tested would be disconnected. The same test would then be applied in the same' way and the fault located in the same manner.

In Fig. 4.- I have shown the adjacent ends oi two rails united by my improved flexible union or bond. This device consists. of s short length of cable made of copper, iron, or otherconductor, (indicated et P,) which has attached to each end a block of metal S, which is adapted to be headed or riveted in s hole in the flange or web of the rail. as indicated more clearly in Fig. v

To facilitate the placing of the bonds and fastening of them in place, it is advisable to 'provide the block or hea'd. with a lateral extension which is dapted to enter ythe hole in the rail and to have its end headed or riv; @ted downin place. By thus fastening the The modidoation the adjacent section C, so

section 13 tions,

heads of the ccn'nectionl avoid the dicultyv which. is found frequently to exist whenl the unions are fastened to bolts, which arelsble to loosen with the continual jarrlngor jolting at the rail ends.

The head or block ci" the. hond or union is attached tothe ilexible' conductor iu the mam ner shown in Fig. 5, where it is illustrated as molded or punched in such form that it canbe crimped or bent down upon the end of the c aole. After being so clamped it may be soldered, if desired.

1. In an electric railway, a rail-return divided into sectionsnsulated from one ai other and provided with intermediate electric l 'switches normallgrconnectng said sections Awith one another, but each adapted to be .turned at will to break thev connection between adjacent sections of said rail-return, as and for thel pnrposedescriced.

2. Iii en electric railway, the combination, with a reilreturn divided into sections insuletsel from one another, of`electric switches normally connecting the ends/of adjacent sections and adapted tobe turned at will to disconnect either side of any section from the rails oan adjacent section. ,3. Innen electric-railway system, the combination, snbst-antiallyes described, of a railreturn divided into sections, c. supple'mentnl return-conductor, and-electric switches and connections whereby the seid sections of railreturn may be connected at Itheir ends to one another and to the said supplemental return.

4. In an electric-,railway systefmthe combination, suhstantiallyvs described, of Y a. railreturn divided into sections, o 'stipplemental returnconductor,l and independent switch' arms and connect-ions,f as described, whereby either side of any section of rail-.return may' be -disconnected from the return-conductor and an adjacent section at one endV without breaking the connection of the other side. `5.' In an electric-railwaysystem,the combination, substantially as described, of a railreturn divided into sections, a supplemental return-conductor, and connections between said sections and `the return conductor -throughswitch devices at the ends of adjoining sections In an electric-railwoy system, tire combination, with a raihretnrn divided into sections,'of connections between opposite sidesof the same section and an adjoining section through independent electric switch devices.'

7. In an electric-railway system, the combination, with a mil-return divided intoV secof four switch contact-points 1 2 3 4 at the adjoining ends of two sections, and switch devices for connecting each'side of a section with a side oi an adjoining section through said contacts.

8. An electric union for railway-rails, consisting of a flexible conductor provided at its ends r. ith attached solid blocks headed' in *holes in said rails, as and for tho purpose de- Signed at Scranton, in the con *,y of Lackasribed. wanna. and State of Pennsylvania, this 11th xo 1L Au electric bond or union for the ends day of May, Ai D. 1891.v of railway-rails, consisting of a iiexble con- MERLE J WIGHTMAN ductor provided with solid hea'ds crimped Y around the end of the conductor and pro Witnesses: Y vided with a. lug or projection, as and for. HoAcE E. Hum' the purpoe described. HERMAN BEaGHoL'rz. 

